RE: First Impressions

["Philip Hendry" <philip.hendry@bb...co.uk>]

Couldn't agree more. It pains me to see Gerard and the boys playing
(brilliantly ) in front of 75 people made me want to cry, but I danced
instead.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: sdhill [SMTP:sdhill@br...net]
> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 6:15 PM
> To:   blueplanes@st...net
> Subject:      Re: First Impressions
>
> Nice use of A House lyrics - very cool.
> STEVE HILL
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Dalzell <PaulD@jr...co.uk>
> To: 'blueplanes@st...net' <blueplanes@st...net>
> Date: 21 January 2000 13:01
> Subject: RE: First Impressions
>
>
> >I just find it all really depressing.
> >
> >I first saw the mighty Aeroplanes supporting REM in 1988 at Newcastle
> >City Hall - a great set & a stage that their presence was deserving of.
> >I'll never forget the first time I heard the coolest introduction to a
> >song ever - "Pick a Card, Any Card - WRONG!" It was from this that
> >started a love affair with a band that should have had the world, but
> >the world turned away......
> >
> >I saw them several times over the years Leeds Uni,Poly of Wales,Belfast
> >Limelight and one of the greatest gigs I have seen - at the Town &
> >Country in London's  Kentish Town. The Aeroplanes soared that night &
> >assaulted the audience with a toxic mix of whirling guitars and in your
> >face poetry. The future was so bright you had to wear (Gerald's)
shades.
> >
> >And then - nothing.
> >
> >Where is the justice? - the music biz is incapable of bringing music to
> >the masses as it sits justwaiting to jump on any third rate trend -
> >milking it to death - once again putting money where the music is not.
> >
> >The Aeroplanes playing in front of 75 people?  FUCK OFF!
> >
> >I still love the attitude though - 5 albums this year????    ABSOLUTELY
> >CLASSIC.
> >
> >If there is any justice in the world this time next year they will be
> >playing the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff supported by the Manics, Oasis
> >& Rolling Stones - and Gerard will be able to afford a believable wig &
> >a nice little tuck job.
> >
> >OK LINE UP & PLACE YOUR BETS!!
> >
> >
> >PAUL DALZELL
> >
> >CARDIFF
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Huw Dylan Owen [SMTP:huwdylan@gl...screaming.net]
> > Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 8:55 AM
> > To: Blueplanes@Sthomas. Net
> > Subject: First Impressions
> >
> > So, what was it really like?  Ahem, yes, I was at the Lomax club
> >in
> > Liverpool last night.
> >
> > The Lomax club is a rock venue of the most wonderful sort.  Down
> >a dodgy
> > looking side alley with a bar in basement, venue upstairs and a
> >locked
> > gallery.  It's small (capacity about 150 I would guess), dingy
> >(dark, loud
> > music, bricked, very rock and roll), hot and sweaty.  "Ill have
> >a pint of
> > bitter please."  "Oh we only have Carling or Guinness, is that
> >ok?".....
> >
> > Anyway, first on were Disney Porn.  Lilting tunes from a
> >musically
> > impressive band who just could not get their act together.  The
> >lead singer
> > apologised ("I'm sorry about this next song, I know it's pretty
> >crap") to
> > the audience about 7 times.  Not very impressive.  They bungled
> >their way
> > through a short sharp shit set.  Penultimate song bounced, but
> >that was it.
> >
> > Second band : World is my Oyster.  Fucking brilliant.  Best new
> >band I have
> > ever seen, me reckons.  Loads of theatre and some of the
> >tightest best rocky
> > ballads that you have ever heard.  No mistakes on this one,
> >every song flew
> > and I was terrified.  How on earth could the Blue Aeroplanes
> >follow this.
> > World is my Oyster kept everyone's attention for the whole set.
> >Every song
> > was given with a hefty dose of arty semi-spoken drama.  When
> >singing about
> > Christmas the singer (heavily dressed in frilly shirt, leather
> >jacket, cool
> > hat and shades along with spandex!) opened a wrapped gift on
> >stage; then he
> > sang about Marjorie and turned his guitar into an ironing board.
> >This was a
> > group attempt.  Synchronised movements in the best sense
> >chugging along with
> > incredibly powerful music.  Get to see these.......
> >
> > Suddenly there were more people on stage than in the audience
> >(about 75-100
> > in attendance).  The Blue Aeroplanes at last were setting up.
> >Les Avion
> > Bleu are my best band of all time.  They are a synopsis of my
> >college
> > memories, arty music with very wordy frontman.  God, I shiver
> >when Gerard
> > says "The sound of violins" and "holding a book and a skull"
> >etc.  You know,
> > I've got all their records and love every one to the last
> >second.  They
> > really mean a lot to me.  This was a great way to see them, I
> >mean, I was
> > stood about 2 yards away from Gerard with a stage about one foot
> >high!
> >
> > So, how did they fare?  Well not very well at the start.  They
> >stumbled on
> > stage with no background noises, no dimmed lights.  They just
> >walked on.
> > The visual backdrops were exactly the same ones as they had some
> >9 years ago
> > and very tacky cut out aeroplanes were everywhere.   The crowd
> >(mainly
> > consisting of schoolteachers of about 27-27 age group - probably
> >in college
> > when Swagger arrived) didn't cheer.  An embarrassed silence
> >dominated.
> > Gerard stood there looking at us.  He looks old.  A serious
> >receding
> > hairline, a beer gut, and an awkward tallness which I hadn't
> >noticed before.
> > Even Rodney Allen looks about 30!  How can this be?  They aren't
> >meant to go
> > old.  However the shades are there along with seriously arty
> >rainbow
> > coloured cobble of trousers (very boring black top).  No Wotjec.
> >No room
> > for him, but a real empty space pervades the band.
> >
> > They begin.  "Hi, how are you?  How's it going?  You look....."
> >The guitars
> > ROCK.  A compliment of 4 guitars, 1 bass and drums.  Layers of
> >guitars are a
> > BA speciality and this is good.  Gerard sways his head in that
> >controlled
> > fashion and tingles go down my spine and then it all goes wrong
> >somehow.  We
> > can't really hear, the crowd don't react as they should
> >(probably still
> > thinking about World is My Oyster!), and a guitar amp starts to
> >go haywire.
> > They fly through about 4 songs (3 trance atmospheric blues
> >numbers of which
> > I had never heard).  Gerard says nothing between songs and their
> >is a
> > distinct lack of showmanship here.  When he does move it looks
> >uncomfortable
> > for him.  Rodney sings "I've been there and I came back" in
> >tuneful mode as
> > usual.  Jacket Hangs with Rodney taking centre with that guitar
> >show.
> > Things go seriously wrong.  One of the guitarists is having real
> >problems
> > now and he insists on trying his stuff out in the middle of THE
> >song.
> > Gerard and Rodney look unhappy (as does the very tall strange
> >business
> > suited bass player).  They decide to play an acoustic number.
> >Mandolins and
> > acoustic guitars come out and they surprise us with a wonderful
> >rendition of
> > Jack Leaves, Back Spring, really very good and moving.  The
> >guitarist goes
> > berserk and throws one of the cardboard planes away with real
> >anger and
> > suddenly his guitar is ok.  They roll on to an astonishingly
> >good version of
> > Cowardice and Caprice.  Tuneful, melodic and wordy.  This is the
> >way I like
> > them.  Guitar goes wrong again.  Guitarist goes crazy.  Walks
> >off and comes
> > back on with a new amp.  All is well.
> >
> > Suddenly they play Weightlessness and it all comes together.
> >Gerard is
> > confident.  The guitars layer thick and everything looks up.
> >They even
> > start a sing along.  A banjo rushes in and you all know the
> >wonderful guitar
> > run from this one to "and Stones", it is done in such a fashion
> >on the banjo
> > that the crowd now go crazy and cheer.  A young man gets up to
> >dance (he
> > looks remarkably like Wojtec and dances like him - offspring?).
> >I feel
> > dizzy with it all.  The rainbow colours light up and the Blue
> >Aeroplanes are
> > their former selves.
> >
> > They are flying now and glorious.  It all comes to a slow
> >magnificent ending
> > and I'm in love with them again.  I guess that this setting
> >suits them.  You
> > can actually focus on the music rather than the dancing etc.
> >Gerard sings
> > ART STAR which he says is about a visit to an art exhibition in
> >Bristol
> > where Damien Hirst etc were there and how "fucking shite" they
> >all were.
> > Gerard actually sing on a few numbers (must be getting old!) and
> >then tells
> > us that this is an important year for them with 5 albums on the
> >way!  5
> > Albums!?!  Crazy.
> >
> > They finish.  Encore.  They play Colour Me which is spiritual
> >and the
> > highlight of the gig easily.  They finish as ever with the multi
> >guitar
> > attack of Breaking in my Heart.  No surrender eh lads?
> >
> > We make our excuses and leave.  Two hours drive back to West
> >Wales.
> >
> > Impressed?  Very.
> >
> > Les Avion Bleu need a marketing manager!  5 albums?!  They had
> >no
> > merchandise on sale.  No T-shirts, no new singles, nothing.  A
> >shame as I
> > guess everyone there would have got a T-shirt.
> >
> > Anyway, see you next time Gerry.
> >
> > Huw Dylan Owen
> >
> >
> >
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